Holly Nicholson Delves Into Life After Love In Her Debut EP ‘Heartbreak Era.’
As someone who grew up on Taylor Swift, Holly Nicholson has made her lyrical mark with her debut EP, ‘Heartbreak Era.’ This new wave of musicians’ lyrics, sound, and aesthetics makes it obvious that they grew up with the pop princess as their icon. Holly can be added to “Taylor’s Children.”
'Heartbreak Era’ EP Cover by @lois.macaulay
Based in the North of England, Holly Nicholson began uploading covers to YouTube 2 years ago. In a year, she went from covers to original music with her debut single “Teenage Dream.” All this has led to her debut EP ‘Heartbreak Era’, a story of love and loss, and how life goes on after the world ends. This EP is a deeply relatable body of work and takes the listeners through a physical journey of falling in and out of love. ‘Heartbreak Era’ shows the importance of choosing yourself over anyone else. The secret to a healed heart is personal growth and platonic love.
The title track “Heartbreak Era” is reminiscent of Carole King’s ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow?’ A downbeat stream of consciousness introduces listeners to this tale of heartbreak and loss. This bleeds into the next track, “Table For Two.” A vivid and creative look into life after love and how painful it is to visit places that were once full of love and happiness.
“Table For Two” is a stripped-back track that captures the beauty of Holly’s lyrics and vocals. This song takes the listeners on the journey of true heartbreak and the pain of seeing someone you once made happy memories with, continue to make memories with someone new, “you found someone new and now I am sitting at a table for two without you.”
On an EP surrounded by downbeat piano tracks, the indie rock track “Hell” is a knockout. It is a vibrant and angry track that showcases Holly’s immense talent. This is a genre that Nicholson should progress more into in future work, as it complements her voice and production style.
Heartbreak Era closes on a nostalgic and hopeful track that shows the light at the end of the tunnel. “Teenage Dream” recognises the final stage of heartbreak, acceptance. This nostalgic track highlights the importance of platonic love in the absence of romance. It shows Holly in a state of happiness due to the support of her newfound friends and how, without the heartbreak, she would not be the person she is now. She had to go through that sadness, anger, and hurt to reach her new life.
Since her first release, Holly has continued to grow as an artist. She is truly coming into her own. Everything from her lyrics to production, it is clear that the type of artist she wants to be. This whole EP takes the listeners on the journey of heartbreak, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Catch Holly on tour across the UK with The Northern Pop Girlies in August. Made up of Holly Nicholson, Chloe Charlotte, and Beth McKenzie, the trio is heading on THE WISHFUL THINKING TOUR as they take their Northern Pop Girlies show on the road. Tickets are available here: https://linktr.ee/_JustForTheRecord.
